BJP Parliamentary Board decided today in favour of senior BJP leader and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu for NDA`s vice presidential candidate. The decision was taken in the top decision-making body of BJP. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, started at 6 pm in BJP headquarters.

Tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations for the August 5 vice-presidential polls. Counting would also take place on August 5. Incumbent Vice-President Hamid Ansari`s term ends on August 10.

Famous for his rhymes and one-liners, Venkaiah Naidu was born on July 1, 1949 in Chavatapalem under Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. He got married to M Usha on April 14, 1970. He has a son and a daughter.

When India Today had asked for his reaction before the decision was taken, Venkaiah Naidu said he is "Ushapati" did not aspire to be "Up-rashtrapati".

Venkaiah Naidu has done BA, BL and was educated at VR High School, Nellore; VR College, Nellore; and Law College, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.

If selected, Venkaiah Naidu would face former diplomat Gopalkrishna Gandhi who has already been nominated as the Opposition`s vice presidential candidate.

The following factors may have weighed in favour of Venkaiah Naidu:

1. SOUTHERN CANDIDATE

Venkaiah Naidu hails from Andhra Pradesh. NDA has already nominated a north Indian Ram Nath Kovind as the presidential candidate. Kovind comes from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Venkaiah Naidu`s nomination would balance the regional factor.

2. RAJYA SABHA EXPERIENCE

Being a fourth term Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan, Venkaiah Naidu has a long experience of the Upper House. This would stand him good stead as an ex-officio chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.

Venkaiah Naidu was elected first to the Rajya Sabha in April 1998. He was re-elected to the house in 2004, 2010 and 2016. He has been a member of several parliamentary committee and even chaired some of them.

3. DYED IN THE WOOL BJP WORKER

Venkaiah Naidu was imprisoned under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency between 1975 and 1977. He was the Janata Party Youth Wing president of Andhra Pradesh between 1977 and 1980. He was first elected as MLA in Andhra Pradesh Assembly in 1978.

Venkaiah Naidu was the national vice president of BJP`s youth wing from 1980 to 1983. He was the leader of BJP`s legislature party in Andhra Pradesh Assembly from 1980 to 1985. He held the post of the state president of BJP`s Andhra Pradesh unit from 1988 to 1993.

Between 1993 and 2000, Venkaiah Naidu was BJP`s national general secretary. He rose to become the BJP`s president in July 2002. He held the post till December 2002.

Venkaiah Naidu has held the post of BJP`s national president on two occasions. The second time it was between January 2004 and October 2004.

Between April 2005 and January 2006, he was BJP`s senior vice president.

From January 2006 onwards, he is a member of BJP`s Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee.

He was BJP`s national spokesperson between 1996 and 2000.

4. SENIORITY

Venkaiah Naidu is No. 5 in the Cabinet, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Finance Arun Jaitley.

 He was Union minister for rural development between September 30 2000 and June 30, 2002 in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

He again became Union minister in the Modi government on May 26, 2014. He held the portfolios of Urban Development; Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs till July 5, 2016.

Subsequently, he has been holding the Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, and Information and Broadcasting portfolios.

5. RAJYA SABHA`S GAIN, MODI`S LOSS

While Venkaiah Naidu`s selection as vice presidential candidate may be a advantage for the Rajya Sabha, it would be a loss for Modi. Naidu was a fire fighter for the PM, defending him on several issues. However, with NDA in a minority in the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu`s services may be more needed for the PM.

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